Table of Contents

THE KALAM I. The Term Kalam II. The Kalam According to Shahrastani and Ibn Haldun III. The Kalam According to Maimonides IV. Influences 1. Christianity 2. Greek Philosophy 3. Iranian and Indian Religions 4. Judaism V. Origin, Structure, Diversity VI. Christian and Jewish Kalam Introductory Statement 1. Christian Kalam 2. Jewish Kalam ATTRIBUTES I. The Muslim Attributes and the Christian Trinity II. Denial of the Reality of Attributes III. Created Attributes IV. Modes I. Mu'ammar's ma'na 2. Abu Hashim's ahwal 3. Opposition to Abu Hashim V. The Semantic Aspect of the Problem of Attributes THE KORAN I. The Uncreated Koran 1. Origin of the Doctrine of the Uncreated Koran 2. The Unraised Problem Of Inlibration a. Ibn Kullab and the Denial of Inlibration b. Ibn Hanbal and the Affirmation of Inlibration c. The Hanbalite Ash'ari d. The Kullabite Ash'ari and Ash'arites e. The Hanbalite Ibn Hazm II. The Created Koran 1. The Denial of the Uncreated Koran and the Denial of Eternal Attributes 2. The Created Koran as a Pre-Existent Created Heavenly Koran 3. The Denial of a Pre-Existent Heavenly Koran III. The Formal Creeds on Inlibration 1. The Wasiyyah 2. Nasafi And Taftazani 3. Fadali IV. The Terms Muhdath, Hadath, and Hadith as Applied to the Koran ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY I. Trinity and Incarnation in the Koran II. Trinity and Incarnation in the Kalam III. The Philosopher Kindi And Yahya Ibn 'adi on the Trinity IV. An Unknown Splinter Group of Nestorians V. Muslim Attributes In Medieval Christianity CREATION OF THE WORLD I. Creation Ex Nihilo 1. Historical Background 2. The Kalam Controversy Over the Nonexistent (al-ma'dum) as a Controversy Over ex nihilo II. Arguments For Creation 1. Argument From Finitudes and the Reconstruction of its Original Form in John Philoponus 2. Argument From the Analogy of Things in the World 3. Argument From the Aggregation and Segregation of Atoms 4. Argument From the Createdness of the Accidents of the Component Parts of the World 5. Argument From the Impossibility of an Infinite by Succession 6. Argument From Particularization 7. Argument From Preponderation 8. Argument From Immortal Souls III. The Kalam Arguments For Creation in Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, and Bonaventura ATOMISM I. Affirmation of Atomism 1. Origin of Atomism in the Kalam 2. An Unknown Pseudo-Democritean Fragment and the Unextendedness of Atoms in the Kalam 3. Greek Descriptions of Atoms as Reflected in the Atomism of the Kalam II. The Denial of Atomism and the Theories of Latency (kumun) and the Leap (al-ta frah) CAUSALITY I. The Denial of Causality 1. The Duration and Destruction of Things 2. The Theory Of Custom ('adah) and its Formulation by Ghazali 3. Averroes' Criticism of the Denial of Causality and of the Theory of Custom II. Affirmation Of Causality III. Impossibilities IV. Repercussions in Christianity 1. St. Thomas on the Kalam Denial of Causality 2. Nicolaus of Autrecourt and GhazalI's Argument Against Causality PREDESTINATION AND FREE WILL I. The Predestinarians II. The Libertarians III. The Hatirani in the Kalam and Ghazal as Inner Motive Powers of Human Actions IV. Generated Effects (al-mutawalladat) V. The Antinomies of Free Will 1. Free Will and the Predestinarian Verses in the Koran 2. Free Will and the Appointed Term (ajal) 3. Free Will and Preordained Sustenance 4. Free Will and God's Foreknowledge 5. Free Will and God's Power: The Theory of Acquisition (kasb iktisab) a. Pre-Ash'arite Acquisition b. Acquisition in Ash'ari, Bakillani, and Juwayni c. Acquisition in Ghazali WHAT IS NEW IN THE KALAM 1. Attributes 2. The Koran 3. Creation 4. Atomism 5. Causality 6. Predestination Conclusion Bibliographical Note Bibliography Index Of References

About the Author

Harry Austryn Wolfson was Nathan Littauer Professor of Hebrew Literature and Philosophy, Emeritus, Harvard University.